


What If, What If, What If...

by Nixie_DeAngel



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Happy, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Reunion, Undisclosed relationship status, post captain marvel, unsure Carol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nixie_DeAngel/pseuds/Nixie_DeAngel
Summary: Carol doesn’t know how long she stays there, just hovering outside the moon’s gravitational pull, staring at the planet before her.
Relationships: Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	What If, What If, What If...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rubynye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/gifts).



* * *

It’s only about a week before Carol decides to return to Earth. 

So one week later, plus seven hours and twenty-seven minutes later, she’s curving around the moon to see the blue-green ball. She lets herself float there for a moment, just a moment, to take it in. To let the memories of her life from _before_ crest over her like a gentle tide. Let’s herself bask and feel the things she hasn’t since she’d left.

And stays there, floating in space, because… because what if Maria didn’t want her to come back? What if Maria needed time to process everything she’d gone through, everything they’d gone through? What if she didn’t want Carol to come back, to bring the untold danger she was sure would trail after her?

What if, what if, _what if_ ….

It keeps circling in her head. It repeats like an endless loop of every doubt she didn’t know she had, turning over and over in her mind’s eye. 

Carol doesn’t know how long she stays there, just hovering outside the moon’s gravitational pull, staring at the planet before her. Eventually, though, she startles out of it and swallows thickly around the lump formed in her throat.

She won’t get her answers, just hanging there. No, no, the only way she’ll know for sure, is if she goes back. Rolling her shoulders, she takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly — she knows it’s more to stall for time, rather than to help her relax.

It takes little less than an hour, before she’s lowering herself to the ground, staring down the driveway to the front door. Daunting, Carol hums, it’s daunting, staring up at the closed door of the Rambeau home. Steeling herself, she moves to amble up the steps but doesn’t get far when the door is thrown up and Monica comes barreling out, squealing her name in utter delight.

“You’re back! You came back!” 

She launches herself off, straight at Carol, skinny arms wrapping themselves around her neck.

Carol stays there, unmoving for a moment, before carefully she moves to wrap Monica up in her own hug, squeeze lightly. “Hey, kid,” she murmurs. Her eyes flutter closed and she breathes her in. They stay like that, wrapped up in each other, Monica babbling in excitement and Carol content to just bask.

“You two just gonna stand out here all night?”

Eyes snapping open, Carol feels her throat tighten, a lump forming as she takes in Maria. She looks the same, all big smiles and warmth as she stands there, leaning up against the door frame watching them.

“No,” Monica answers, head turning to grin up at her mom. “We’ll go flying before bed.”

Laughing, Maria shakes her head, and steps out, arms opening and wrapping around them. “Maybe tomorrow, baby, how about tonight we stay in and find out what kinda of adventures Carol’s been on.”

“Yeah! You gotta tell us everything!”

It takes a moment, but she murmurs out a hoarse, “Course.”

They stay like that, wrapped around each other, before Maria pulls back, and talks Monica into going inside, under the guise of finishing her chores she’d abandon when they’d seen Carol walking up their drive. Only once they’re sure she’s gone, does Maria turn back to frown kindly at Carol. “What’s wrong? You look… you don’t look good.”

“M’fine,” she murmurs, letting herself get tugged into a firmer hug. “Wasn’t sure you’d be happy to see me again,” she mutters, after a moment. There was no use denying it, Maria had _always_ been able to get Carol to admit the things she’d rather bury deep and never think about again.

“Silly,” is the immediate reply. “We always want you here. Always. Okay? There’ll never _not_ be a time when the Rambeau household isn’t open to you, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispers quietly, face tucked into Maria’s neck, lips brushing softly against her bare skin.

They’ll pull apart in a moment, Carol thinks, but for now, she’s happy to stay standing on the porch, wrapped up in Maria’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this!


End file.
